One win at a time, the Royals are scrapping their way toward the top in the AL Central.

Pinch-runner Elliot Johnson scored from third base on a wild pitch by reliever Matt Albers in the ninth inning as Kansas City rallied for a 2-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Johnson, inserted after Billy Butler opened the ninth with a double, sprinted home and slid in safely after Albers’ pitch got under catcher Carlos Santana and went all the way to the backstop.

With their 11th win in 13 games, the Royals, who were last in the division on June 5, moved past Cleveland into second place.

”We’re grinding out wins now, so I’ll take it,” said starter James Shields, who went six innings but got another hard-luck no-decision. ”We’re real resilient as a team. Even when things got rough, we never gave up. We believe in ourselves.”

Before going on this surge, the Royals lost 15 of 18 and at 23-32 manager Ned Yost’s future was very much in doubt. But the Royals are rising quickly.

”A win is a win,” Butler said. ”We’ve been playing good baseball and we’re enjoying it. We’re more confident now than we were when we started 17-10.”

Royals reliever Aaron Crow (3-2) struck out two after putting the potential go-ahead run at third in the eighth, and Greg Holland stranded the tying run at third in the ninth for his 15th save in 17 tries.

Bryan Shaw (0-1) couldn’t protect a 1-0 lead for Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, charged with just one run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings.

Santana homered in the sixth off Shields, who remained winless since April 30 and has pitched much better than his 2-6 record.

”He never gives in,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. ”He can throw any pitch in any count for a strike.”

The Indians were unable to get the big hit all night.

Twice they loaded the bases against Shields, who both times struck out Jason Kipnis to end the threats. In the ninth, Cleveland got the tying run to third when Michael Bourn doubled and advanced on a wild pitch. But Holland struck out Mike Aviles and retired Kipnis on an easy grounder to second.

The Royals scored one run in the eighth and ninth to eke out the win.

”It’s a ‘W’, man,” Yost said. ”It’s important to get to .500, but now, it’s more important to move past that.”

With the score tied 1-all, Butler opened Kansas City’s ninth with a double off Shaw, who walked Lorenzo Cain and was pulled by Francona for left-hander Rich Hill. David Lough dropped a bunt toward third that Hill fielded before losing his balance and falling in the infield grass.

Albers got ahead of pinch-hitter Miguel Tejada before uncorking a pitch that skipped to the padded backstop. It bounced back quickly to Santana, who flipped the ball to Albers covering the plate, but Johnson slid in just ahead of the tag.

”I tried to block it,” Santana said. ”I think I was a little late putting the glove down.”

Blanked for nearly eight innings by Carrasco, the Royals tied it in the eighth on Eric Hosmer’s bloop RBI double.

Chris Getz, twice robbed of hits earlier by left fielder Michael Brantley, singled and Alcides Escobar sacrificed. Francona came out and replaced Carrasco, who was making his first start since serving a seven-game suspension and remains in search of his first win since June 29, 2011.

Rather than bring in struggling lefties Hill or Nick Hagadone to face left-handed hitters, Francona went with Shaw, who retired Alex Gordon on a weak popup before Hosmer dropped his hit over shortstop Aviles’ head and in front of Bourn in center to tie it at 1.

It didn’t figure to be a pitchers’ duel with both starters coming in with blemished resumes.

Shields hasn’t won since April 30, and Carrasco has dropped his last seven decisions and was twice suspended since his last victory.

Santana broke up the scoreless matchup by leading off the sixth with his 10th homer, a shot into the stands in right. The homer came on Shields’ first pitch of the inning and 101st of the night.

Although he has given up more than three runs just once in 13 starts, Shields can’t catch a break. The Royals are averaging 2.2 runs in his outings.

Carrasco was pitching for the first time since serving a suspension for throwing at New York’s Kevin Youkilis on April 9. In his previous outing, the right-hander was rocked for six runs and 10 hits in four innings by the Detroit Tigers, who didn’t have to worry about Carrasco throwing inside because he rarely tried.

However, Carrasco challenged the Royals on the inner half of the plate and retired the first 13 in order before Cain singled sharply to right.

”That was what we’re hoping for,” Francona said.

— Associated Press —

Wade Davis kept the Kansas City Royals’ long stretch of strong pitching intact in a win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Davis stopped his five-game winless streak, Jeff Francoeur homered, and the Royals beat the Rays 5-3 on Sunday.

The Royals have given up three runs or fewer in 14 of 15 games. Kansas City has won 10 of 12.

”Kansas City is playing really well now,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. ”They deserved to win. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. If you look at their team ERA, it’s number one in baseball. Kansas City outplayed us, period.”

After the game, the Rays announced that they were going to purchase the contract of slugging prospect Wil Myers from Triple-A Durham in time for Tuesday’s doubleheader at Boston. The outfielder, who hit 14 homers with Durham, was acquired in a seven-player offseason deal with the Royals that sent Davis and starting pitcher James Shields to Kansas City

Davis (4-5) gave up two runs – both coming in the first – and five hits in six innings for his first win since he beat the Los Angeles Angels on May 15.

”I knew once he got through the first, he was going to settle in and be fine,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. ”Wade did a great job of limiting the damage. I just had a real good feeling he’d get back in the dugout, he’d regroup and hold them right there. That’s exactly what he did.”

It was Davis’ first game against the Rays.

”I was up in the zone a little bit,” Davis said. ”The walks and a couple of hits that got in there were just balls I left up a little bit. Once I got the breather in the third or fourth inning when we scored some runs, I got a little breathing room.”

After Francoeur hit a solo homer in the fifth inning, Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon had RBI singles to put the Royals ahead 4-2 in the sixth. Gordon added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Francoeur had only 13 hits in 83 at-bats before delivering his third homer this season.

Greg Holland, the fourth Kansas City reliever, earned his 14th save despite allowing a homer to Jose Lobaton in the ninth.

Roberto Hernandez (4-7) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings for Tampa Bay, which went 4-6 on a 10-game homestand. The Rays were coming off a three-game series with Boston that included a 10-8 loss in 14 innings, and a 2-1 defeat.

”The Red Sox series was kind of a weird one,” Rays third baseman Kelly Johnson said. ”It was tough to lose a couple of those games. We had opportunities to win both. Then this series was one of those hangover series from that. It kind of felt that way anyway. Not a ton of energy, not a ton of life, unfortunately.

”There’s always going to be some stuff like that. We’ve got to get it turned around quickly.”

Billy Butler had an RBI single in the first for Kansas City, which won three of four against Tampa Bay.

The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the first when Luke Scott drove in a run with a double and scored on Desmond Jennings’ single.

Davis prevented further damage by getting an inning-ending fly from Jose Molina with the bases loaded.

The Rays announced during the game that right-hander Alex Cobb, who was hit on the right ear by a liner off the bat of Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer in the fifth inning on Saturday night, had been discharged from Bayfront Medical Center.

”I know we feel wonderful about it,” Maddon said. ”I think the rest of baseball feels good about it.”

Tests showed Cobb has a mild concussion. He was put on the 7-day concussion list, and Tampa Bay recalled right-hander Josh Lueke from Triple-A Durham.

In a message posted on his Twitter account, Cobb thanked Rays head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield and the doctors at Bayfront, and said that he, ”Woke up with only a minor headache today.”

There was a loud cheer from the announced crowd of 27,442 at Tropicana Field when the news about Cobb was posted on the scoreboard after the top of the sixth.

— Associated Press —

A scary moment involving Tampa Bay right-hander Alex Cobb overshadowed the Rays victory.

Cobb was taken off the field on a stretcher after he was hit on the right ear by a liner off the bat of Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer in the fifth inning of the Rays’ 5-3 win over the Royals on Saturday.

Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said all tests were normal and that Cobb suffered a mild concussion. Cobb was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he will spent the night.

Cobb tweeted Saturday night: ”Can’t thank everyone enough for the prayers. Was the only way for me to make it out of there ok. Look forward to getting back out there.”

He put a hand on his head after being struck. Trainers from both teams and other medical staff immediately ran onto the field. Cobb could be seen kicking his legs while being examined on the mound.

The team said Cobb remained conscious the whole time.

Players on both teams had hands on their heads as a stunned silence overtook Tropicana Field after the crowd gasped when Cobb was struck. Rays head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield and Dr. Michael Reilly went with Cobb to the hospital.

Tampa Bay pitcher David Price visited Cobb in the hospital and tweeted: ”Cobber is way more tough than me!! Laughing at jokes and the name they gave him!! Please keep him and his family in your prayers.”

”He seemed pretty normal, so that was good,” Price said after returning to the ballpark. ”Our hearts are with him. He told me that Porterfield was making him really mad on the field because he wouldn’t let him stand up, so it was good that he wanted to be able to stand up. He knew where he was. It’s amazing that he is in the condition I feel like he is in right now.”

Hosmer’s drive bounced back toward the plate area, where catcher Jose Lobaton picked up the ball and threw him out at first.

”He hit it so hard (Cobb) couldn’t even react, and it makes everybody in the stadium sick to their stomach when something like that happens,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Hosmer said he didn’t even want to run to first.

”I just wanted to see how he was doing,” Hosmer said. ”You hate to see that, especially Alex having a great year. It’s just scary stuff, man. I’m glad he’s alright. I know he’s been talking and having conversations.”

Hosmer, and Cobb’s former teammates James Shields and Elliot Johnson planned to visit the pitcher at the hospital.

”I just want to go there and show him I care how he’s doing,” Hosmer said.

Cobb being hit came a month after Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ was also struck by a liner against the Rays and suffered a skull fracture. Happ was discharged from an area hospital the following day.

The sound of the ball striking Cobb – which sounded like a bat hitting a ball – could be heard in the press box and throughout the ballpark.

”I think everybody heard it,” Rays right fielder Matt Joyce said. ”The loudest and worst ball hitting somebody I’ve ever seen. Obviously the same happened with Happ here and that was terrifying, too. But man, that one caught him square.”

Rays players, manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey gathered at the mound during the 11-minute delay. Shortstop Yunel Escobar was in squatting position looking down at the ground, while Hickey appeared at time at be nervously pacing near the mound.

”When they rolled him over, Cobber was talking and that was a good thing,” Maddon said. ”It’s one of those really, really bad moments. It’s part of the game and it stinks sometimes. Just a horrible moment to witness. It doesn’t happen often, thank God, but when it does it can really give you pause. We were very lucky. Of course Alex was very lucky.”

”I thought our medical staff did a great job,” Maddon added. ”They were beyond professional with how they dealt with the entire moment.”

It has been a tough week for Cobb, who left the team after starting Monday night’s game against Boston due to the death of his grandmother. He was informed of the death after the game in which the 25-year old gave up a season-high six runs over four innings in a 10-8, 14-inning loss to the Red Sox.

”So everything’s looking positive and from everything I’ve heard, he has a laceration on his ear and a concussion,” Shields said. ”Hopefully it’s just that.”

Luke Scott, Joyce and Evan Longoria homered for the Rays, who had lost five of six. Alex Torres (2-0) replaced Cobb and struck out four over 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 19 opportunities.

”I’m still shaking,” Torres said.

Joyce hit a solo homer off Jeremy Guthrie (7-4) in the fifth that put the Rays up 4-2 and ended the Royals’ 13-game stretch of limiting opponents to three runs or fewer.

”Such a heart-wrenching and terrible thing to happen on a baseball field, but at the same time you have to finish the game,” Joyce said. ”The only thing you can do is just pray that he’s OK and pray for a speedy recovery.”

Guthrie gave up five runs and eight hits over seven innings.

Scott hit his first homer since May 19, a two-run drive during the third as Tampa Bay grabbed a 3-2 lead. Scott, who had make all of his 29 previous starts this season at designated hitter, started in left field with third baseman Longoria moving into the DH role.

Longoria, bothered the past two weeks by plantar fasciitis in his right foot, was the DH for the third straight game. He made it 5-2 on a sixth-inning solo homer and also had a sacrifice fly in the first.

Longoria is expected to DH again Sunday and could play in the field when the Rays start a road trip Tuesday at Boston.

The Royals took a 2-1 lead in the second when Alex Gordon walked on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded and Hosmer hit a sacrifice fly. Salvador Perez cut the deficit to 5-3 on a solo homer in the eighth.

Perez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first.

— Associated Press —